Railway car



June 23, '1936.

w. E. WINE JaATToRNEYs Patented June 23, I936 nsirco STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to railway cars and more particularly to improvedmeans for closing the lading discharge openings thereof.

The principal object of the invention is to provide the car with improved means for reinforcing portions thereof adjacent the ladihg discharge opening and to provide the door for closing the opening with means for cooperating with the reinforcing means to prevent the escape of lading from the car.

A primary feature of the invention consists in providing the car with a door frame adjacent the spaced outwardly from the door for cooperating with each other, when the door is in closed position, to prevent the escape of lading from the car.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing a door for closing a lading discharge opening of the car with a body portion and with a laterally projecting portion spaced outwardly from the main body portion, the projecting portion of the door being engageable with a portion of the car adjacent the lading discharge opening to prevent the escape of lading from the car.

A still further feature of the invention consists in providing a railway gondola car with a mem- A still further feature of the invention consists in providing a railway gondola car with a door frame of substantially channel-shape surrounding a lading discharge opening thereof.

Other and more specific features of the invention, residing in advantageous forms, combinations and relations of parts, will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a gondola car.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the construction illustrated in Figure 1.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are enlarged detail sectional views taken respectively on lines 3-3, 44 and 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken on line 65 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a plan view of one of the combined reinforcing and arm members of the door.

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the member illustrated in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 9@ of Figure 8.

For purposes of illustrating the invention, a gondola car has been chosen, but those skilled in the art will understand that the invention is not limited in its application to cars of this type. Moreover, as the general construction of gondola cars is well known, only so much of the car strumture as is necessary to a full understanding of the invention has been shown in the drawing.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I indicates one of the car center sills and 2 one of the side sills thereof. While the side sill is of channel-shape having upper and lower horizontal flanges 3 and 4 respectively connected by a vertical web 5, any of the well known forms of side cross-bearers or diaphragms 6. The sides of the car, which may be conveniently formed by metal rality of metal plates 9 and I0, plate 9 overlying the center sill and the plate I0 spanning the space between and being rigidly secured to the side and center sills; In is preferably secured in overlapping relation to the upper flange of the side sill and it may be conveniently formed with an upwardly projecting portion II for attachment to the side sheet 7; At a suitable point intermediate the side and center sills, the floor plate In is provided with an opening I2 through which lading may be discharged from the car. Surrounding this opening is a frame 13, which, among other things, serves to rigidify portions of the floor bounding the cast metal unit of substantially channel-shape, having upper and lower flanges I4 and I5 and a connecting web or member I 6. The upper flange, which may advantageously be flange I5 is spaced downwardly I 6 of the frame extends downwardly from the floor on three sides of the opening in alignment with the edges thereof, while at the fourth side of the opening, namely, the side adjacent the center sill, the member 16 extends downwardly from the floor plate at a point spaced inwardly of the edge of the opening.

Pivotally associated with the car is a door l8 for closing the lading discharge opening. While any suitable means may be employed for hingedly mounting the door, it is preferred to provide the door with stiffening or reinforcing members l9 whose inner ends project beyond the door and are formed to receive hinge pintles 2B. These pintles are carried by hinge lugs 2|, which extend downwardly from the floor of the car below the lower flange iii of the door frame and they are preferably formed integral with the frame. The door is formed with a main body portion 22, which, when the door is in closed position, is adapted to be disposed in substantially the plane of the floor plate It. Along its marginal edges, the door is provided with outwardly projecting reinforcing portions 23, which, except at the hinged edge of the door, terminate in laterally offset portions or flanges 24, which are spaced outwardly from the main body portion 22 and are adapted to engage the lower flange H: of the door frame, when the door is in closed position. The door is preferably made of such size that, when it is in closed position, the outwardly projecting portions 23 thereof will lie closely adjacent the web 16 of the door frame, only suflicient clearance being maintained between these parts to insure easy operation of the door. It will thus be appreciated that only very fine lading will sift down into the space between the door and door frame, but even this lading will be prevented from escaping from the car by the engagement of the laterally offset portions 24 of the door with the lower flange of the frame. Moreover, even though the laterally offset portions of the door will not, on account of inaccuracy of manufacture or other factors, such as sagging of the door, engage the lower flange of the frame, when the door is in closed position, the laterally offset portions of the door Will function to support the relatively small columns of lading which may become lodged between the door and frame and in this manner also prevent the escape of lading. Furthermore, the extent of overlap between the portions !5 and 2d of the frame and door, respectively, assist materially in preventing the escape of lading, should these parts not be in engagement when the door is closed. Although the outwardly projecting portion 23 of the door adjacent its hinged edge may also be provided with a laterally offset portion similar to those designated 26, it has been found desirable to eliminate the offset portion at this point, because foreign matter may collect on the top thereof, which would prevent the door from being moved to a fully closed position. However, the hinged edge of the door may be sealed against the escape of fine lading by having the floor plate iil overlap the upper surface of the door, the latter being offset slightly downwardly, as indicated at 25, so that the upper surface of the main portion of the door may be disposed in the same plane as the upper surface of the floor plate.

Each of the door stiffening members l9 may 'be conveniently of substantially channel-shape having a Web 26 and upper and lower flanges 21 and'28, respectively. The upper flange conforms to the contour of the door, so that it may be rigidly secured by rivets 29 to the outwardly projecting portions 23 of the door adjacent the hinged and free edges thereof. Moreover, at the free edge of the door, the upper flange of each stiffening member is enlarged, as at 30, so as to project on both sides of the web 26 and thereby provide additional portions for attachment to the main body portion of the door and the adjacent outwardly projecting portion 23.

The stiffening members may be advantageously formed with arm portions 3i, which extend downwardly from the free edge of the door and pass outwardly beyond the adjacent side of the car below the side sill 2 for cooperating with suitable mechanism to support the door in closed position. This door supporting mechanism may be of the well known type, which includes a pivoted hook 32 adapted to move into engaging relation with the door arm under the influence of gravity.

From the foregoing, it will be perceived that simple and rugged means, in the form of a door frame, have been provided for reinforcing a railway car adjacent a lading discharge opening thereof and that the door for closing the lading discharge opening is provided with portions adapted to cooperate with the frame for preventing the escape of lading from the car.

What I claim is:

1. A railway gondola car having a floor provided with a lading discharge opening, a door for closing said opening, and a door frame surrounding the opening comprising a plate-like portion secured to the under side of the floor, a platelike portion spaced downwardly therefrom and a web substantially normal to the plane of the closed door connecting said plate-like portions, said door having a portion adapted to engage said downwardly spaced plate-like portion of the door frame when the door is in closed position.

2. A railway gondola car having a floor provided with a lading discharge opening, a door for closing said opening, and a door frame of substantially channel-shape surrounding said 4:

opening, said frame having a flange secured to the floor, a flange spaced downwardly therefrom and a web connecting said flanges extending at an angle to the plane of the closed door, said door having a downwardly spaced laterally offset portion adapted to engage said last named flange of the door frame when the door is in closed position.

3. A railway gondola car having a floor provided with a lading discharge opening, a door frame surrounding the opening including a plate-like portion secured to the under side of the floor, a plate-like portion spaced downwardly therefrom and a sociated with the car for closing the lading discharge opening, said door having a main body portion adapted to be disposed in substantially web portion connecting said plate-like portions, and a door pivotally asthe plane of the floor when the door is in closed position and also having a ing portion terminating in a laterally projecting portion disposed in a plane substantially parallel with said main body portion said laterally prodownwardly extendjecting portion of the door being adapted to engage the downwardly spaced plate-like portion of the door frame when the door is in closed position.

WILLIAM E. WINE. 

